Mediocre Ramblings
By Grommy Wilkerson
Today marks my 15th day straight in quarantine. No, I am not actively sick and yes, I have left the house for brief periods during this time. Thus far, there’s very little difference for me personally between the Coronavirus shelter-in-place and having an extended spell of social anxiety where I only go outside to grab some grub or play with the dog. (His name is Bronson and he is 1000% a little stinker).
I am concerned about the state of the world. I’m concerned every time I log on Facebook and see posts about the government using the virus to control us, especially when those posts are generating likes. I’m concerned about my grandparents who are directly in Corona’s crosshairs. Paw Paw is coming up on 90 years of living and has had cancer in his bones for the last few. I’m most concerned at the number of people in this country who have showed a blatant disregard for human life by finding their free spirit during a time of crisis and ~oh so bravely~ not letting the virus dictate what they can and can’t do.
I have seen an equal or greater number of people react to the situation with grace and care for the common person. This includes people on all sides of the political spectrum, a wide age range, and with varying backgrounds. This makes me extremely proud and hopeful for the future.
This viral period has been especially interesting because just before it all broke out, I found a beautiful lady I am very much into. I’m pretty shit at navigating these types of things to begin with and Corona has only exacerbated the situation. For now, we are settling for texts and the occasional phone call as we begin to build a relationship.
As I write this very mundane excerpt around my life, I believe my sanity is fully intact in large part due to my roommates, the aforementioned stinky boy Bronson, the sudden takeover of streaming platforms with their endless content, and my one true love – video games. I would encourage everyone reading this to do three things:
1. Reach out to the people you care about early and often. Interaction is food for the soul (even for those of us less socially driven) and you never know what might happen, notably during this period of uncertainty.
2. Get up, go outside for a walk, do some pushups, put vanilla custard in your roommate’s toothpaste bottle, stretch those muscles out, and don’t be hard on yourself in this period of solitude.
3. Support local restaurants that are still operating because they desperately need your backing to stay alive. No one knows how long this will last but every additional day in mandatory quarantine is a day closer to closing for many small business owners.
Au revoir!
